Personal portable devices such as cell phones, tablets, and flashlights rely on an internal power source such as a battery. These sources are used irregularly, and often fail when needed because the internal rechargeable batteries have been exhausted.
As a result, alternative designs have been developed that provide a ready power source for such an emergency. These usually take form of portable, compact battery packs in various forms and sizes, which provide additional battery capacity. All connect to the portable devices through their power ports.
One such product distributed by Apple Computer is the Mophie Juice Pack Powerstation External Battery. It is designed for such devices as iPhone, iPad and iPod. The product contains a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can charge the internal battery on iPhone, iPad and iPod in a matter of minutes. The product connects to the device through a universal serial bus (USB) charging cable.
There are many other products that have the same function, all designed to run the personal portable devices for longer periods, or to quickly recharge the device in an emergency.
It is known that thermoelectric generators such as Peltier modules or tiles, working on the Seebeck Principle, can be used to produce electric current. The Seebeck Effect states that electric current is produced when two dissimilar metals (such as bismuth and telluride) are joined, and one side of their junction is cooled while the other is heated. As in U.S. Pat. No. 7,626,114 a thermoelectric power supply converts thermal energy into a high power output with voltages in the millivolt to Volt range for powering a microelectronic device and comprises an in-plane thermoelectric generator, a cross-plane thermoelectric generator, an initial energy management assembly, a voltage converter and a final energy management assembly.
There exists a need to provide a portable power source that can be powered thermoelectrically, using thermoelectric generators.